CV - Clark University

November 16, 2014
Gbeton B Somasse
Address: 950 Main Street Box 3166
Worcester MA 01610
Citizenship: Benin; Gender: Male
[email protected]
https://sites.google.com/site/gsomasse
+1 (774) 482-1880
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Economics, Clark University, Worcester, MA.
M.A. in Economics, Clark University, Worcester, MA.
M.A. in Finance, University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal.
M.Sc. in Economics Statistics, ENSEA, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
B.A. in Statistics, summa cum laude, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
FIELDS
Primary: Applied Econometrics, Development Economics, Labor Economics.
Secondary: Public Policy, International Economics, Spatial Analysis, Africa
DISSERTATION
JOB MARKET
PAPER
Expected June 2015
2011
2005
2001
1996
Essays on the Relationships between Education Policies, Achievement, Labor Market Outcomes, and
Inequality.
Committee: Wayne Gray (Chair), John C Brown, Junfu Zhang
Retaining Better Achievers? Free Primary Education and Educational Outcomes in Benin
In 2006, Benin government adopted a Free Primary Education (FPE) policy, abolishing parent-paid
tuition fees and increased resources towards schools. In this paper, I examine whether the policy reduced
the wealth and gender gap as well as prior geographical disparities in educational outcomes. I also
evaluate how the expanded access has affected student achievement. The identification strategy relies on
pre-FPE differences in dropout rates across municipalities in a difference-in-differences approach. Using
municipality and household level data, I find evidence that the fee elimination attenuated the inequality
of access by increasing primary school completion for traditionally disadvantaged groups, including
girls, low-income, and the northern region populations. The increased enrollment had no significant
adverse effect on student achievement as measured by the probability of passing the primary school exit
exam (CEP). Moreover, the policy potentially helped low performing municipalities narrow the
achievement gap through the retention of better achieving students who would have dropped out of the
education system otherwise. These results suggest some welfare improvements and may have important
policy implications for Benin and other developing countries with similar strategies.
WORK IN
PROGRESS
Returns to Education and Inequality Analysis in Benin after a Free Tuition Policy.
Analysis of Student Test Scores in Chad.
Universal Primary Education and Educational Convergence in Benin.
Teacher Incentive and Student Performance in Benin.
RESEARCH
EXPERIENCE
 Data Analyst Consultant, MicroFinance Transparency
 Research Assistant Intern, IHS Global Insight, World Trade Service
 Research Assistant, Clark University, Department of Economics
o Professor John Brown
o Professor Chih Ming Tan
 Individual Consultant, U.N. Economic Commission for Africa, Ethiopia
TEACHING
EXPERIENCE
June 2012 – Dec. 2012
Summer 2011 & 2012
Summer 2013 & 2014
2012-2013
Summer 2000
 Certifications
o Certificate in College Teaching, Higher Education Consortium Central Massachusetts
o International Graduate Trainer – Junior Chamber International Training Institute
 Instructor, Clark University, Department of Economics, Worcester MA
o Introduction to Macroeconomics
o Introduction to Microeconomics
 Instructor, African Institute of Management, Senegal
o Introduction to Econometrics
 Teaching Assistant, Clark University, Department of Economics, Worcester MA
o Introduction to Statistics and Probability
,
o Introduction to Macroeconomics
o Introduction to International Trade
2014
2008
2012-2013
2014
2008-2009
2011-12, 2014
2011
2010
WORK
EXPERIENCE
BCEAO Central Bank, Headquarters, Senegal,
o Head - Division of Enterprise Data, Senior Economist and Financial Analyst
o Microfinance Supervisor
U.N. Development Program (UNDP), Benin, Poverty Reduction Expert to Assistance
Programs for Poverty Reduction Strategy and of Sustainable Human Development
Government Agency for Tourism, Benin, Statistician
HONORS AND
AWARDS
2014 Young Scholar Program Fellowship, International Economic Association.
2014 (spring) Graduate Student’s Council Travel Award, Clark University.
2013 (spring) Dissertation Fellowship, Clark University, Department of Economics.
2013 Toastmasters Competent Communicator Award.
2012 E.C H. Veendorp Award for best field paper and poster presentation, Clark University.
2010-2013 Teaching Assistant Award, Department of Economics, Clark University
2009-2014 Graduate Scholarship, Department of Economics, Clark University
2009 Most Outstanding Junior Chamber International Trainer in Africa and Middle East
2007 President of Most Outstanding New JCI Local Chapter (JCI Dakar-Avenir), JCI
1998-2001 Excellence Scholarship Award - European Union Commission
2002-2008
2008-2009
2001-2002
1997-1998
PRESENTATIONS American Economic Association, Commission on Economics Education (CEE) Poster Session: A
Connection System in Economics Education, Boston, MA, January 2015 (Scheduled).
Southern Economic Association Conference, Atlanta, GA, November 2014.
African Economic Conference, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 2014.
International Economic Association World Congress, Amman, Jordan, June 2014.
Graduate Multidisciplinary Conference, Clark University, Worcester, MA April 2014.
Eastern Economic Association Conference, Boston, MA March 2014.
Clark University Department of Economics Poster Presentation, September 2012.
American Economic Association, Philadelphia, PA, January 2014.
Eastern Economic Association Conference, New York, NY, May 2013.
Northeast Universities Development Consortium (NEUDC), Hanover, NH, November 2012.
CONFERENCES
MEMBERSHIPS
American Economic Association.
Eastern Economic Association.
Northeast Universities Development Consortium (NEUDC)
Southern Economic Association.
REFEREE
African Development Review
SKILLS


REFERENCES
Languages: English (Fluent), French (Native), Spanish (Basic)
Computer:
o Statistical Analysis: EViews, Gauss, SAS, SPSS, Stata; GeoDa; ArcGIS.
o Internet: HTML, Google Sites and docs
o Learning Management: Moodle, Blackboard
Wayne Gray, Professor of Economics
John C. Brown, Professor of Economics
Junfu Zhang, Associate Professor of Economics
Jacqueline Geoghegan, Chair, Department of Economics
Gbeton Somasse
+1 508-793-7693 – [email protected]
+1 508-793-7390 - [email protected]
+1 508-793-7247 - [email protected]
+1 508-793-7709 - [email protected]
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